Darkness Inescapable
by Woman of Rohan
Summary: After the events of AoD, Lara thinks that her worries are finally over. However, when a new evil begins to arise, she must embark on a new adventure that forces her to relive the painful events of her past. This time, Kurtis is along for the ride.
1. Fate

**This story has been brewing in my mind since I first played Angel of Darkness a couple of years ago and I've finally decided to share it with the rest of the fanfiction community. Although I've been an avid reader and writer of fanfiction for years now, this is my first submission to this site. Reviews and constructive criticism are greatly appreciated! I'm really hoping that people will enjoy this, because I've certainly enjoyed writing it. **

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**Chapter 1 - Fate**

As Lara Croft staggered into the circular room in which she last saw Kurtis, an all too familiar smell reached her senses. People with less experience than herself wouldn't recognize it, but she knew it far too well for her own liking.

The unmistakable smell of blood surrounded her...

Upon arriving back into the arena, Lara couldn't help but notice the fresh pool of crimson liquid that now stained the previously clean floor. A fierce battle had obviously taken place between Kurtis and the creature called Boaz and it looked as if there were no survivors. Boaz (or at least what was left of her) lay in a mangled heap upon the ground. No doubt, it was Kurtis' work. As Lara neared the puddle of human blood, the gleam of a circular object caught the tomb raider's eye.

Lara approached the object and picked it up as recognition hit her. It was Kurtis' oddly shaped weapon which she had seem him use on various occasions, apparently controlling it with his mind as he caused it to hover around, brutally dismembering his enemies. The pool of blood undoubtedly belonged to Kurtis and judging by the quantity of it he was seriously injured. Even more likely though, he was already dead and had been dragged off by some horrible abomination of a creature that lurked somewhere within the depths of the Strahov.

As she absent-mindedly twirled the weapon between her fingers, Lara frowned. Although Kurtis was nothing more than a mysterious stranger, she began to feel a wave of sadness rush over her in response to his untimely death. She knew nearly nothing about him, and yet she couldn't help but notice how alike they were. They had both been through more than most people ever went through in a lifetime and against all odds, their lives had become intertwined somehow. Was it fate? Perhaps…

_But it doesn't matter now… _Lara thought bitterly to herself. _He's dead and there's nothing you can do about it. Fate is a cruel force indeed. _

Suddenly, Kurtis' weapon began to spin furiously in Lara's hand, startling her out of her reverie. She watched it in fascination for a moment before it gave a forcible tug, causing her to turn and look towards a long and darkened hallway. She stood there, stunned momentarily before realization dawned upon her. Since Kurtis was the last of the Lux Veritatis and the owner of the weapon, it was more than likely that he was the only person who could wield it.

As she glanced at the floor, Lara noticed that a trail of bloody splotches and smears led away from the puddle in the middle of the arena and down the hallway and she cursed herself for not noticing them earlier. Ever cautious, Lara drew her revolver and slowly made her way down the hall, feeling along the walls in order to find her way. A faint light could be seen near the end of it where the hall apparently broke into another path to the right. As she reached the end, Lara took a deep breath, silently preparing herself for any danger if it were to come her way. With one swift movement, she jumped into the dimly lit pathway with her gun held ready. There were no monsters or ancient Nephilim to be found, but her heart wrenched at what she saw. At the end of the hall lay the unconscious form of a man in a puddle of his own blood.

Immediately dropping the weapon and her gun, Lara made her way over to Kurtis as fast as she possibly could and kneeled down beside him. Her mind reeled as a hundred troubled thoughts and emotions flew through her brain. Forcing herself to put them aside, Lara mentally scolded herself and focused on the task before her.

As she frantically looked over him, Lara's instantly noticed the deep puncture wound in Kurtis' lower back. She winced as she briefly examined it, noting that it had gone extremely deep.

Since Kurtis was lying on his stomach, Lara carefully turned him onto his back and pulled him partially into her lap to better check for any signs of life. To her horror, another dreadful wound was in his abdomen. This one was slightly lower than the other and even more ragged. It didn't take long to figure out what had happened to the man before her. Something had apparently driven itself right through Kurtis before violently wrenching itself out again. With no time to waste, Lara placed her fingers on his neck to check for a pulse to find that it was weak and erratic.

_Not good... _she thought. _He's going into shock... Better make sure he's still breathing..._

Placing her face inches from his, Lara waited for a few moments until she felt the slight exhale of warm air on her cheek, as Kurtis' chest rose and fell. She let out a sigh of relief.

_Thank God..._

As she checked him over further to make sure that he had sustained no other injuries, Lara examined the hole in Kurtis' abdomen more closely, biting her lip as she eyed the severity of it. His wounds were devastatingly life-threatening and truth be told, Lara was surprised that Kurtis was alive at the moment. He had already lost an excessive amount of blood and it wouldn't be long before he'd bleed out completely. Working as quickly as she could, Lara took off her backpack and pulled a roll of bandages from within it. She rolled up Kurtis' shirt to reveal the gaping hole in his stomach and gingerly began to wrap his torso in hope of staunching the bleeding. To Lara's surprise, Kurtis let out a soft moan and stirred slightly. He was coming back into consciousness.

Lara stopped bandaging for a moment and spoke gently. "Kurtis? Can you hear me?"

Ever so slowly, Kurtis opened his vibrant blue eyes and suddenly wished that he had not done so. An overwhelming pain filled his entire body, and his vision was terribly blurred. What appeared to be a human's face swam into focus above him and Kurtis squinted, trying to better adjust his vision. When his eyesight had finally cleared a familiar smile tugged at his mouth.

"You came back…" he managed, his voice raspy and weak. "I thought I was done for."

Lara smiled sympathetically as she continued with the bandages. "Well, you might not have been so lucky if it weren't for your weapon. I must admit, for being half-conscious that was some pretty quick thinking."

Kurtis continued to smile rather sardonically before he gave a cough, grimacing in pain.

"Wh-where's Eckhardt?"

"I took care of him. We don't have to worry about him any longer."

"The Shards worked, then?"

"Yes, just like you said they would."

A look of relief came over Kurtis' features and Lara continued. "Now's not the time for explaining, I'm afraid. We need to get out of here."

Kurtis gave a slight nod in acknowledgement before his eyes closed again. When his eyes did not open for several moments, a wave of panic suddenly rose into Lara's chest.

_Oh no you don't…_

Lara slapped his face firmly in an attempt to bring him around again. "Come on Kurtis, you have to stay with me. You have to stay awake."

Kurtis' eyes fluttered open once again although it was apparent that he did so with great difficulty, and his voice was reduced to barely a murmur.

"I'm so tired…"

"Yes, I know… but I'm not letting you give up so easily."

"Just leave me."

Lara shook her head in determination. She had already let Werner die before her eyes and she refused to let Kurtis be another casualty.

"No, we're going to get you out of here and to a hospital." She carefully finished tying off the bandages and then wiped her blood-stained hands onto her shorts, analyzing Kurtis' mobility.

"Do you think you'll be able to manage walking?"

"I'm not sure…"

Lara released a sigh. "Alright then… we'll just have to take our chances. Work with me here, okay?"

With that, Lara lifted Kurtis to his feet from beneath his arms, grunting as she did so. He weighed a bit more than she had originally estimated. Once on his feet, Lara pulled one of Kurtis' arms around her neck and then placed her free arm around his waist, being careful that she didn't aggravate his wounds any further. She took a step forward as Kurtis' feet dragged along the ground and she urged him to fall into place beside her.

"Kurtis, I can't do this alone. You'll need to help me if you want to get out of here alive."

He nodded in comprehension as he took an unsteady step forward. It was difficult for Kurtis to put aside his pain and concentrate on getting his legs to work again, but he eventually succeeded. Ever so slowly, the two of them began their long journey through the darkened passages beneath the Strahov. Lara only prayed that fate was giving them another chance.


	2. Helpless

**Thank you to those of you who've taken the time to review... it's greatly appreciated! Keep the reviews coming, and I'll keep updating.

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****Chapter 2 - Helpless**

Every moment spent within the seemingly endless corridors of the Stahov was torture for both Kurtis and Lara. Minutes seemed to drag on like hours and the little energy that each of them had was gradually decreasing. Although Lara was never one to admit defeat, she came to the awful realization that neither of them could press on for much longer.

With each step, Lara noticed that Kurtis' breathing became more labored as he often struggled for air. His face had taken on a sickly appearance as sweat was steadily dripping down his pallid brow. If they didn't get out soon, Kurtis would surely bleed to death. In fact, Lara doubted that she herselfcould press on any further, as supporting nearly all of Kurtis' weight was draining much of her energy.

Just as they were coming to a door at the end of a rather long passage, Kurtis suddenly went limp and slumped against Lara. Her knees buckled against the extra weight and she nearly collapsed, having no other choice but to lower her companion to the ground. Kurtis' eyes had closed tightly as he laid on the floor, and at that moment Lara realized how frighteningly pale he had become. He was unconscious, apparently going into the more threatening stages of shock. Or even worse…

_Oh God no…_

Lara immediately checked his pulse and breathing again. Both signs of life were extremely weak, but he was still fighting for his life. Tapping his shoulder firmly, Lara attempted to bring him back into consciousness.

"Kurtis! Kurtis, wake up! Come on, Kurtis, you can't do this to me… Not after we've gotten this far!"

Not surprisingly, Kurtis didn't stir. Becoming increasingly panicked, Lara ran through all of the possible options that she had in order to get Kurtis out of the Strahov safely and without any further harm. With seemingly no other choice, Lara gripped Kurtis from beneath the arms and lifted him from the ground with her remaining strength. She slung one of his limp arms around her neck, taking hold of it, and grasped her free arm around his waist once again in order to support him.

Lara half lifted and half dragged Kurtis down the remainder of the hall and somehow managed to turn the door handle without letting Kurtis fall to the ground again. To her utter surprise, Lara was met by an icy breeze as the door was opened and tiny drifts of snow entered the building.

The door, which was evidently another secret passage into the Strahov, led into a dark and secluded ally and there appeared to be no immediate threats in the vicinity. Immensely relieved, Lara stepped out into the freshly fallen snow and involuntarily shuddered as the chill air met with the bare flesh of her arms and legs. Upon reaching the opening into a semi-lighted square, the scream of a police siren reached Lara's ears and her heart skipped a beat in her chest.

_Oh bugger…_

Until the current point in time, she had completely forgotten the fact that she was a wanted woman. Lara stood near the end of the alley and peered out into the square, spotting numerous police cars and an ambulance. If they saw her with Kurtis in his current condition, then she would undoubtedly be blamed. Would the authorities even believe her? Admittedly, Lara would not have believed half of the things that she witnessed if she herself hadn't seen them. Even when faced with such bizarre occurrences, they seemed almost too extraordinary to be real, as was often the case with her adventures. For a moment, the horrible possibility occurred to her that the police would never believe her. She could be sentenced to life in prison or even death, and Kurtis would undoubtedly-

_STOP._

Lara scolded herself mentally. She was panicking for no reason. She had exposed the underground workings of the Monstrom and had in the process proven herself innocent. All of the evidence was placed in her favor. If the authorities didn't believe her, then they were incredibly dense, but it would be a chance she would have to take in order to save Kurtis. Before she could change her mind again, Lara emerged from the darkened alley and into the light of the square. Her heart was pacing, and she felt as if she was in a daze as the next few minutes seemed to occur in slow motion.

Shouting voices met her ears as officers and medical personnel rushed toward them, but she didn't hear what they were saying. It seemed as if all of her senses had shut down, and the scene before her played out like a scene from a silent film. Two people immediately took hold of Kurtis and began looking him over. Lara let go of him in a daze, and allowed them to lower him safely onto a stretcher. They began questioning her, but she didn't answer. Instead, Lara just stood there, cold and numb in the chill winter air. She scarcely noticed that the police officers were saying her name in hushed voices and before she knew it, two more officers had grabbed both of her arms and began leading her towards a police car. Lara didn't even try to struggle against them as they pushed her roughly against the hood of one of the cars.

"Hands behind your back, ma'am. You're under arrest for the murder of Werner Von Croy."

Although her mind was racing, Lara obeyed as she was handcuffed and her eyes wandered over to the ambulance, where medical workers were struggling to keep Kurtis alive as they hooked him up to various pieces of medical equipment. Had she really come all this way for this? To be captured by the authorities while the fate of Kurtis was out of her hands? The more she thought about it, the more doubtful Lara became of her present situation.

Her trance was interrupted as she felt someone lightly grab her shoulder.

"Excuse me, Miss. What happened to this man?"

It was a paramedic, who had apparently approached her in the last minute without her realizing it. Lara continued to stare in Kurtis' direction as the nurse probed her further.

"Miss, do you know this man? Do you know his name?"

"Kurtis." she stated emotionlessly, as a police officer grasped her arm and pushed her into the back seat of the car. "His name is Kurtis, and he's a friend of mine."

And with that, the officer slammed the door and the car sped off into the uninviting darkness. Lara stared out the window, her eyes still glued to the ambulance as it became farther and farther away, and a single tear traced it's way down her face.


	3. Home

**I'm glad that people seem to be enjoying this so far! Thank you Ellethiel, Linzi, Cityofangels, Akkon, and spitfire511 for reviewing! **

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****Chapter 3 - Home**

_2 and ½ months later…_

The front door of Croft Manor opened gently as one of its only two inhabitants silently entered the house. They slowly pulled the door shut behind them in an attempt to make a minimal amount of noise, but the door gave a terrible screech and pierced the tranquil silence. Wincing slightly, it's entrant noted to have the door oiled sometime soon. As the door thudded to a close at last, light footsteps echoed throughout the grand hall and mixed with the incessant chirping of crickets that sang outside of the manor's walls. The footsteps came to a sudden stop, however, as a voice boomed from the top of the grand staircase.

"We'll have to oil that cursed door in the morning. It hasn't been attended to in God knows how long…"

Lara looked up to the top of the stairs, regarding her butler with a weary smile.

"My thoughts exactly. Sorry If I woke you, Winston. I did my best."

Winston smiled as well, as he slowly made his way downstairs to greet her .

"Not at all my dear, not at all. As you may have already guessed, I couldn't sleep without the usual racket coming from the gym, so I kindly stayed up for you."

Lara continued to smile tiredly as he came to stand near her at last, appreciating his attempt at sarcasm.

"I'm a bit too tired be training tonight, so I'm afraid you'll have to live without the noise for once." She began to take her jacket off as her butler aided her.

"Oh, pity." Winston feigned a hurt expression as he hung the jacket upon the coat rack near the door. "Well, won't you have some tea before you go to bed?"

"No thanks. Not tonight."

Lara was already making her way upstairs so Winston amicably followed her. Deciding to change the subject, he made a further attempt at conversation.

"So, how are the preparations for the Grand Opening coming along?"

"Things seem to be going quite well. Everything should be perfect by tomorrow evening."

"Wonderful! I'm sure all of your hard work will have finally paid off."

"Yes, I suppose so…"

Winston sensed a note of uncertainty in her voice and as Lara reached the entrance to her quarters and he took a moment to observe her, noting that she looked absolutely exhausted. Dark circles had formed beneath her normally vibrant eyes and her whole being seemed to emit a deep sorrow. A few moments of uncomfortable silence fell between them and Lara hesitated before speaking again.

"I don't think I'm going, Winston." she stated solemnly.

Winston frowned at her. "But you've worked so hard over the past few weeks… Are you really going to miss it?"

"I have my reasons for not wanting to go."

Winston's frown deepened as he regarded Lara with a pitying expression. It undoubtedly had to do with the events that occurred in France, just a few months before.

"We've been through this before… " he sighed. "You've been cleared of all previous accusations regarding what happened in Paris. If that's not good enough for the rest of the archaeological community, then I don't know what is."

"I know, Winston… but that doesn't keep people from assuming that I had something to do with it."

"Lara, you can't just-"

"I'm tired, Winston." she stated forcefully, cutting him off mid-sentence. "I'll see you in the morning."

Winston nodded, feeling slightly defeated. Perhaps if he gave her some time to think things over, she'd reconsider.

"Very well then. If you need anything, my dear, you know where to find me."

"Thank you, Winston. Good night."

He nodded in acknowledgement and made his way down the hall to his own quarters. Upon entering her chambers, Lara walked towards the answering machine that rested on the desk in the corner of her room. She pressed the "play" button as she sat down upon her bed, half-heartedly listening to the messages.

"_Do you want to make great memories in exciting new destinations? Are you longing for an adventure out of the ordinary? Then you may be interested in investing in one of our lovely resorts, located worldwide in various exotic locations such as South America, The Bahamas, -"_

Lara sighed in frustration, as she casually clicked the "delete" button on the answering machine.

"Bloody Timeshare… you'd think they'd give me some peace for once…"

She continued to delete multiple annoying messages before a familiar French-accented voice rang through the room, bringing a rare smile toLara'sface.

"_Lara, ma chere! I hope that you are doing well. I wanted to let you know that I will arrive in London sometime tomorrow morning. I'll call you when I check into my hotel, so that we may further arrange our plans for the Grand Opening. I can hardly contain my excitement at being able to see you again, as well as being one of the first people to view Werner's personal wing at the museum!"_

Lara's smile immediately vanished and became replaced by a frown, as Jean Yves' message continued, taking a sympathetic turn.

"_I know that his loss must still weigh heavily upon you, but I'm sure that he would have been very proud of what you've done for him. It is an honor to have known such a man. Few people in the archaeological community can say that they have been so fortunate. Ah, but I am carrying on too long about such matters. I shall see you tomorrow night, but until then, please take care of yourself. Au revoir, Lara."_

Lara found herself feeling decidedly guilty as the message came to an end. Her old colleagues had a way of doing that, it seemed. Not surprisingly, her thoughts immediately drifted to those of Werner and Paris... and eventually to a certain mysterious stranger. Lost in her thoughts, Lara instinctively reached over to her nightstand and opened the drawer, pulling out a familiar circular object that rested within it. She held the Chirugai at the tips of her fingers, twirling it around rhythmically as she often found herself doing as of late. Holding the weapon in her hands somehow had a calming effect upon her. Her head began to ache after a few moments, and she allowed herself to lie back as memories continued to creep back into her mind. Before she knew it, Lara drifted off into a restless slumber as her grip on the weapon loosened, and the Chirugai fell to the floor with a metallic thud.


	4. Messages

**Sorry I took so long with getting the next chapter up... I tried logging onto the site 3 times yesterday, and it wouldn't let me log in. So, here it is now! Once again, thank you to everyone who's reviewed the story so far. Without further ado, here's chapter 4!**

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_The great pyramids of Giza rose up from the sands as they stood like mighty fortresses in the mid-day sun. They became larger and larger, until the interior of the largest of the three was reached, revealing a dark and threatening corridor. Someone was fumbling through them, desperately trying to make their way to the surface…debris was falling everywhere and the light pouring in from its minuscule entrance was increasingly becoming scarcer. Suddenly, a hand appeared through the shadows, offering salvation…but the walls caved in, crumbling as all light was diminished. A terrified scream pierced the air, as the pyramids' victim fell into the never-ending darkness of the abyss. _

_FLASH_

_A hospital room. Everything white, sterile, cold… a feminine form was laying in the bed in the center of the room and the only sound that could be heard was the beeping monitors that surrounded it. A man in a strikingly white suit and fedora appeared suddenly in the doorway, covered in crimson liquid. He slowly inched closer to the bed, his spectacled face in agony as he leaned heavily upon a golden staff, limping slightly. He came closer and closer to as the woman in the bed struggled to get away, but found that she was strapped down… there was no way to escape. The man finally reached the bed, but before she could utter a sound, his hands closed tightly around her neck, constricting her air-way. The woman struggled and thrashed in the bed, desperately trying to get away but it was to no avail. Her breath came in short gasps as she slowly suffocated to death. As she took in a final gasp of air, she stopped thrashing and the beeping of the monitors became deafeningly loud as her vital signs stopped. _

_BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEEEEEP… _

Beep Beep Beep Beep Beep…

Lara awoke in a cold sweat as she sat up in bed, breathing labouredly as she struggled to catch her breath. Her hands instinctively came to rest upon her neck as she felt for any signs of her attacker. It took her a few moments to recover her bearings as she looked around at the familiar surroundings her own bedroom, and she came to the realization that there was no attack.

_It was all just a dream…_she thought to herself._ A terrifyingly real dream. _

Beep Beep Beep Beep Beep…

_Or was it?_

For a moment, Lara thought that she was going insane, as she could still hear still hear the distinctive beeping of monitors. She nearly smacked herself in the head for letting herself be so paranoid as she looked over at her answering machine and noted that the light was blinking, indicating that she had received a message sometime while she slept. Pushing herself out of bed, Lara clicked the button on the machine and nothing happened. Someone had probably called and then hung up before leaving a message. She made a mental note to inquire Winston about who called.

Still feeling rather distraught, Lara made her way downstairs where she met Winston in the kitchen. As usual, he was waiting for her with breakfast and a fresh pot of coffee already made. He greeted her happily as Lara sat down at the kitchen table, and he placed a plate of toast and a cup in front of her.

"Good morning, dear. Did you sleep well?"

Lara could sense the concern in his voice, and she raised an eyebrow at him.

"I slept well enough. Why do you ask?"

"Well, you're looking rather pasty this morning… almost as if you've just seen a ghost."

_You have no idea… _she thought sarcastically to herself, but she answered Winston flatly and changed the subject.

"I'm fine. Did I get any calls?"

"Yes, you did… but first, did you happen to hear the news this morning?"

Lara shook her head. "No, I just woke up a few minutes ago and I didn't have the radio on. What happened?"

"Well, it appears that there was another break-in at the Louvre. When Jean called this morning to inform me that he'd arrived at his hotel, he told me all about it. He seemed rather troubled by the whole thing." He poured Lara a cup of coffee and sat across the table from her.

"So, what was stolen?"

"Now see, that's perhaps the most puzzling thing about it… Jean said that only a small and fairly insignificant Egyptian artifact was taken, and that all of the more valuable treasures were untouched."

Lara didn't seem remotely troubled by the news, and she shrugged indifferently. "There are break-ins at large museums all the time, Winston. Some people are just odd. It gives them a thrill." She paused for a moment as she took a bite of toast, and then continued. "Did he say what the artifact was?"

"No. He didn't say… but I was hoping that you could further discuss this with him at the Grand Opening later tonight. That is, if you're going." He looked at her expectantly, and Lara's eyes narrowed.

"Is that what this is, Winston? A clever way to get me to go to the Museum tonight without regret? And since when do you care about the well-being of artifacts?"

Winston smiled at her, clearly amused by her defensive nature. "I meant nothing by it, Lara. But I really do think that this is significant… and I truly believe that you should go tonight, if only just to see Jean. He misses you and he's anticipating seeing you. You know that."

Lara sighed heavily. If she didn't go, she knew for a fact that she'd never hear the end of it.

"Fine, Winston… I'll go. But I can't guarantee that I'm going to have fun."

"Fun is only optional." Winston stated as he continued to smile, and Lara rolled her eyes at him.

"So, did I get any other messages?"

"As a matter of fact, you did. Someone by the name of Mr. Trent."

Lara sipped at her coffee thoughtfully as she rolled the unknown name around in her head.

"Hmmm… it doesn't sound familiar. Did he leave a first name?"

"Yes, I believe he said his name was Kurtis. An American, by the sound of him."

Lara nearly spit her coffee all over herself, but she managed to swallow it down and regain her composure before questioning her butler further. She hadn't heard that name in months, although it had always been somewhere at the back of her mind…

"Did he say anything else? What did he want?" she asked, attempting not to come off as too anxious.

"He merely stated that he'll be in England on business, and that he'd very much like to see you. He informed me that he'll be arriving at an airport sometime this morning, and that he'd call you as soon as he arrived." Winston stopped for a moment as he tried to read Lara's emotions. "Do you know him?"

Lara nodded. "Yes, we met in Paris."

Winston's eyebrows raised suspiciously, and she scowled at him, realizing what her statement must have implied.

"I assure you that our meeting was far from romantic, if that's what you were thinking."

The butler raised his hands in a defensive gesture, as Lara got up from the table.

"I'm heading off to the shower, Winston. I'm not feeling particularly hungry. If Kurtis calls while I'm in there, come and get me immediately. I can't risk missing his call."

Winston noted the urgency in her voice decided not to question her further, and he merely nodded.

"Whatever you say, dear."

That was a sufficient answer for Lara, and she promptly retreated to her room as a thousand confusing thoughts and emotions overwhelmed her. Kurtis was alive. As much as she had thought otherwise, he was alive…and he was coming to England to see her. It was almost too much to believe. Her life had seemed so boring for months upon end and suddenly, with one single phone call, everything felt as if it was changing. As she took a shower, she continued to reflect upon her current revelation. Utterly lost in her thoughts, she wasn't sure whether she was in there for minutes or hours, as she completely lost track of time.

Lara finally emerged from the shower feeling incredibly refreshed, and she wrapped a towel around herself and walked over to the mirror that hung near the sink. It seemed an eternity since she had truly looked at herself. She studied her face intently, noting that she looked rather different than she had nearly three months ago, and she silently wondered if Kurtis had changed, as well. As she continued to look in the mirror, the phone rang, and her heart gave an unexpected leap in her chest.


	5. Reunion

**AN: First off, I'd like to apologize for the lack of updates over the past few weeks. Between school and work, things have been pretty chaotic and I haven't had much spare time to go on the computer, let alone make updates to this story. I can't necessarily guarantee that this won't happen again, because life has a tendancy to get in the way of things, but I hope that people will continue to read this, since Ihave no intention of abandoning this story any time soon. I have the next few days off, so I plan on updating as often as I possibly can. **

**Once again, thank you to all of my reviewers! At long last... here's chapter 5! **

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**Chapter 5 - Reunion**

Heart racing, Lara made her way towards the phone as it gave another ring. She hesitated for a moment before picking it up, and finally put the receiver to her ear in anticipation.

"Hello?"

"Lara?" A masculine voice sounded from the other end of the line, and Lara's heart began to pace even faster.

"Yes. May I ask who's speaking, please?" She asked, although she was already sure of the answer she'd receive.

"Oh, sorry…" he laughed slightly. "I guess that would help. This is Kurtis... You know, from Paris, in case you've forgotten. I know it's been awhile, but it's great to hear from you again."

Lara couldn't help but smile.

_How could I possibly forget you?_

"It's good to hear from you too, Kurtis. I don't mean to be rude, but how exactly did you manage to find my phone number? It's supposed to be unlisted."

He gave another laugh, only this time more deviously.

"Well, let's just say I have certain connections."

"Ha. I figured as much. So… how have you been?" the question didn't seem quite appropriate after what had happened after Prague, but she asked anyway.

There was a long pause, as if Kurtis was choosing his words carefully.

"I'm doing alright, considering the circumstances. But I don't really want to talk about that right now, if you don't mind."

"Are you always this elusive?" she asked teasingly.

"Maybe. We could chat about these sort of things later, though. My minutes on this phone are running out. And there are people around. "

"Oh, right. I nearly forgot. Where are you?"

"Gatwick airport. You familiar with it?"

"Yes, it's just a few minutes away."

"Great. So, do you mind if I stop by in a little while? I'd come sooner, but I need to find a bus and check into a hotel."

"Do you need directions, or did your connections inform you of my address as well?"

"Haha. Very funny. But actually, no. I don't know where you live."

The words left Lara's mouth before she could stop herself.

"You know, if it's easier for you, I could just pick you up and bring you here. I assure that it would save you some time. And the busses aren't allowed near my property, anyway, so you'd be out of luck unless you had some way of getting here yourself."

Kurtis seemed rather surprised.

"You'd do that for me? I mean, are you sure it's not a problem? I'm kinda low on cash, so it would really help."

Lara smiled even further.

"No problem, Kurtis. I'll be there in a few minutes."

"Thanks, Lara. I really appreciate it. So uh… see you soon then?"

"Yeah, see you soon. Stay out of trouble until I get there."

Kurtis laughed again. "I'll try."

Lara heard the click of the phone hanging up on the other line, and she stood for a moment in silence as her mind absorbed what had just happened. It was odd to think that the man whom she had assumed was dead for months was alive and well, and having a normal conversation on the phone with her. It was nearly too much for her to believe, but then again, she had witnessed more bizarre occurrences.

Realizing that she still had to get dressed, Lara opened her closet and pondered for a moment about what to wear. After much consideration, Lara finally opted on a casual pair of jeans and a simple t-shirt. She got dressed and then tied her hair into her usual braid before coming downstairs to meet Winston once again. He was in the parlor, intently reading the latest issue of National Geographic.

"I hope you're not too busy at the moment." she stated, as she walked into the parlor. "Because we have somewhere to be."

Winston looked up from the magazine, looking interested. "Oh? And where might that be?"

"The airport. We're picking up a friend."

"Kurtis?"

"Yes, Kurtis."

"Oh, Good. The Croft Manor hasn't has a visitor in ages, and I'd very much like to meet this mystery man."

Lara found herself rolling her eyes at Winston once again, and they both headed out to the car. The drive to the airport only lasted roughly 15 minutes, but it seemed to drag on for much longer, as Lara found herself growing quite anxious. She stared out the window, remaining utterly silent as Winston continued to drive. He seemingly didn't notice her odd behavior... Or at least if he did, he was keeping it to himself. By the time they finally pulled into the airport parking lot, Lara's heart was once again pounding furiously in her ears. As they came to a stop, she opened the door and gave an order to Winston.

"Alright, you stay here and wait for us. I'll go find him."

"Whatever you say, dear."

With that, Lara got out of the car and entered the airport. The interior was incredibly crowded, as groups of people were constantly coming and going. It didn't help that the airport was rather large, either, and full of shopping kiosks. She searched for Kurtis for several minutes, but it was to no avail. Finally, through the crowd, Lara caught a glimpse of familiar-looking figure near the phone booths. Her heart skipped a beat in her chest, and for a moment it seemed as if all of the air had been pushed form her lungs. Kurtis was leaning casually against the wall, with a backpack slung over his shoulder. Not surprisingly, it appeared that he had distanced himself from all of the social activity occurring in the airport. A smile spread across her face as she noted that he hadn't spotted her yet, and Lara took a moment to quietly observe him.

Kurtis looked mostly the same as he did since she last saw him, with a few noticeable changes. His hair appeared to be quite a few inches longer and it looked rather disheveled, as if he had just gotten out of bed. He also looked considerably thinner, judging by the way his jeans were practically falling off of him… and he was a few shades paler than Lara remembered him. No doubt, they were the result of Kurtis' long stay in the hospital. Lara noted that his clothing style remained largely unchanged, as he was wearing a t-shirt with a long-sleeved shirt underneath it, much like he did in Paris. As Lara drew nearer to him, she realized that he was smoking a cigarette as he took a long drag from it. Smiling to herself, Lara waited until she was only a few feet away from him before calling out a greeting.

"Smoking kills, you know."

Kurtis turned around to face her as he smiled sardonically, smashing the butt of the cigarette into a nearby ash tray.

"Good to see you too."

They both laughed, and they stood for a moment in silence, as they looked each other over. Besides looking rather jet-lagged and utterly exhausted, Kurtis looked amazing.She knew it was impolite to stare, but Lara couldn't seem tokeep her eyes off of him.

"You look good." Lara stated finally, as she couldn't really think of anything better to say.

Kurtis shrugged. "Heh. I think anything would look good compared to the last time you saw me… but thanks, anyway. You're looking pretty good, yourself."

"Thanks." Lara could feel heat rising into her face and she quickly changed the subject before he could comment any further. "So… uh… shall we make our way out to the car? Winston's waiting for us."

"Winston?"

"Yes, my butler."

"Oh… is that who I talked to on the phone this morning?"

"Yes."

"Ah, okay. Let's go then."

Lara and Kurtis made their way through the airport and found that Winston had parked near the front doors, allowing easy access to the car. He was standing outside of the car, politely waiting to greet them.

"Wow… nice ride. And your friend is a butler _and _a chauffeur? Where did you get this guy?" he joked quietly to Lara, making sure that Winston couldn't near them.

Lara shushed him, as they approached Winston and the car.

"Ah, so you must be Kurtis. I've heard much about you." Winston held out a hand for Kurtis to shake, and Kurtis shook his hand as he threw a curious look at Lara, who shrugged it off.

"Nice to meet you, Winston."

"May I assist you with your luggage?"

"Nah, that's alright… I've got it."

"Alright then."

Winston opened the car doors for both of them, and Lara resumed her place in the passengers' seat, as Kurtis sat in the back with his belongings.

The ride back to Croft Manor was relatively quiet, save for Winston's occasional questioning of Kurtis, regarding everything from his line of work to his marital status. When he asked about the latter topic, Lara promptly changed the subject as they pulled into the front gate of the Manor.

"Well, this is it." she stated. "My humble abode."

Winston parked, and he got out of the car before Lara and Kurtis so he could open the doors for them. Kurtis emerged from the car, and he looked mildly surprised as he gazed up at the expansive mansion.

"You live _here_?"

Lara nodded.

"Well, I can't say I'm entirely surprised, since you're the woman who has everything. But it's… uh… big."

Lara laughed at his sudden lack of vocabulary, and she ushered him towards the door. "I wouldn't say that I have _everything, _but I do have quite a collection. Would you like the grand tour?"

Kurtis smiled. "Sure. It'd be my pleasure."


End file.
